Display manikin and support means therefor



March 1, 1966 w. P. YERGER DISPLAY MANIKIN AND SUPPORT MEANS THEREFOR 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1963 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM P. YE RGER ATTORNEY March 1, 1966 w. P. YERGER DISPLAY MANIKINAND SUPPORT MEANS THEREFOR Filed April 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

WILLIAM P. YERGER BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,237,5522 DISPLAYMANIKEN AND SUPPORT MEANS THEREFOR William P. Yerger, 797 K St Monroe,La. Filed Apr. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 275,066 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-120) Thisinvention relates to improved support means for manikins and inparticular to support means for manikins that resemble conventionalshoes and which will not interfere with dressing, undressing, or thearrangement of clothing on the supported manikins.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide footengaging rigid support means resembling shoes for a manikin whereby thesole support for the manikin is through the feet of the manikin,eliminating all need for independent support rods, support wires and thelike which are conventionally employed with clothing manikins.

in general, maniltins have been supported by rigid rods, the lower endsof which engage extended surface floor supported platforms while theupper ends are releasably secured to a body portion of the manikins.Such support rods interfere with dressing and undressing of manikins andthe arrangement of clothes about the lower extremities of the manilrins.In some instances, these conventional support rods prevent the placementof certain clothes on manikins without damage to the clothes renderingthem useless for sale to the public. For example, manikins employingconventional rod support means may not conveniently be dressed in capripants, slacks, leotards, pedal pushers and the like,

A further object of the present invention is to provide support meansfor a clothing manikin which may be contoured to resemble the currentshoe fashion and the color of the support means may be readily changedto match the particular clothing ensemble in which the manikin isdressed.

These and other objects and advantages are provided by support means fora clothing display manikin comprising a pair of rigid members shaped toconform to the shape of the feet of a manikin and contoured to resemblea left and a right shoe, each of said rigid members having a supportingsurface engaging portion resembling the sole and heel of a shoe and anupper portion resembling the top of a shoe, a base member having anextended planar floor engaging surface, tie means releasably connectingthe supporting surface engaging portion of each of the rigid members tosaid base member and further tie means releasably connecting the feet ofa manikin to the heel section of the upper portion of the rigid member.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to theillustrated embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothing display mauikin having thenovel support means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear view of the structures shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of an embodiment of the supportmeans of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View substantially on line 44 of FIG.3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of thesupport means and leg of the clothing display manikin shown in FIGS. 1and 2.

Referring to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there isillustrated a clothing display manikin generally designated ll) whichincludes a body portion 12, a head portion 14, left and right arms 16and 18 and left and right legs 20 and 22. The illustrated mauikin is3,237,822 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 of the type wherein the legs 20 and 22are formed integrally with the lower portion of the body 12 and the legsare positioned in an aesthetic relationship to the body whereby the heelof leg 22 is closer to the floor than the heel of leg 20 as more clearlyillustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Thus, without the support meansof the invention with the body of the manikin in a generally verticalposition, only the toe portions of each of the feet would engage aplanar horizontally directed surface.

The improved support means of the invention generally comprise a pair ofrigid members 26 and 28. The internal surfaces 30 and 32 of rigidmembers 26 and 28, respectively, are shaped to conform to the shape ofthe cooperating feet of the manikin to be supported.

The external surfaces 34 and 36 of each of the rigid members 26 and 28,respectively, are contoured to resemble a left and a right shoe. Theexternal configuration of each of the pair of members thus includes asole resembling portion 38, a heel resembling portion 4! a toeresembling portion 42, a counter resembling portion 44 and a vampresembling portion 46. The particular configuration of the external shoeresembling portions of the support members may be widely varied to suitthe current fashion trends. Further, as will be particularly apparentfrom FIG. 2 of the drawings, While each of the pair of rigid supportmembers 26 and 28 is of similar external configuration, each member iscontoured to provide at least heel and sole support for its cooperatingfoot. Thus, it will be noted that heel 49 of support member 26 is longerthan heel member 40 of support member 28, thus providing spaced zones ofcontact between each of the pair of rigid members 26 and 28 and acooperating base member generally designated 50.

Base member 50 is illustrated as comprising a square plate member havinga lower planar surface 52 adapted to be supported from a floor or thelike and a generally planar upper surface 54 adapted to releasablyreceive the pair of rigid support members.

The base member 50 is preferably constructed of sheet metal and in theillustrated form of the invention, the base member is square when viewedin plan and is approximately 24 inches on a side, The base member 50 isd-etachably secured to the display manikin support means 26 and 28. Inthe illustrated form of the invention, the securing means comprise bolts56 which pass through bores 58 in the base member 50 and engage threadedopenings 60 in the sole resembling portion of each of the supportmembers 26 and 28.

A further bolt member 62 passes through a bore 64 in the base member 50and is received in a threaded bore 66 in the heel resembling portion ofeach of the support members.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the support members 26 and 28are molded from a rigid plastic composition, and particularly.satisfactory results have been obtained with plastic reinforced withfiber glass cloth. To insure lasting cooperation between the bolts 56and the support members, the support members are formed or molded withinlaid or integral metal plates 68 and 70. Plate 68 is provided with afiat platform engaging surface 72 and upturned wing portions 74 whichfollow the contour of the vamp resembling portions 46 of each of thesupport members to provide additional strength and rigidity to thesupport members.

The plate member is illustrated as an inlaid square at the forward endof the toe portion of the sole resembling section of each of the supportmembers.

Where the support members are cast or formed from metal such as brass,aluminum, die casting zinc and the like, the inlaid metal plates 68 and70 are not required.

The assembly further includes releasable means interconnecting each footof the clothing display manikin and its rigid formed support member. Inthe illustrated form of the invention, the attaching means comprisebolts 76 which pass through bores in the heel resembling section of theupper portion of the support members. A cooperating threaded bore 78, asillustrated in FIG. 5, is provided in the feet of the manikin.

From the foregoing description, it Will be seen that support means areprovided for a clothing display manikin which is artistic and functionaland eliminates the conventional rod supports which interfere withdressing, undressing and the fit of clothing on display. Further, ashereinbefore indicated, the color of the support means may be readilychanged by spray coating the support members in a color to match orcontrast with the particular displayed clothing. Further, where theparticular design of the support members goes out of style, new supportmembers may be readily constructed to keep the manikin in the currentstyle.

I claim:

1. In combination a display manikin resembling in size and configurationa human being, said manikin including at least a body portion, dependinglegs rigidly attached thereto, feet for said legs, and support meanstherefor, said support means comprising a pair of rigid plastic membersshaped to conform to the shape of the feet of the manikin and contouredto resemble a left and a right shoe, each of said rigid members having asupporting surface engaging portion resembling the sole and the heel ofa shoe and an upper portion resembling the top of a shoe, a base memberhaving an extended planar floor engaging surface, tie means rigidly andreleasably con necting the supporting surface engaging portion of eachof the rigid members to said base member, and further tie means rigidlyand releasably connecting the feet of the manikin to the heel section ofthe upper portion of the rigid member.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said tie means and saidfurther tie means comprise bolts.

3. In combination a display manikin resembling in size and configurationa human being, said manikin including at least a body portion, dependinglegs rigidly attached thereto, feet for said legs, and support meanstherefor, said support means comprising a pair of rigid plastic membersshaped to conform to the shape of the feet of the manikin and contouredto resemble a left and a right shoe, each of said rigid members having asupporting surface engaging portion resembling the sole and heel of ashoe and an upper portion resembling the top of a shoe, a base memberhaving an extended planar floor engaging surface, metal plates insertedin each of the pair of rigid members in the shoe sole resemblingportion, threaded openings in said metal plates, cooperating bores inthe base member, and threaded bolts passing through the openings in thebase member and engaging the threaded openings in the metal plates forrigidly and releasably connecting the supporting surface engagingportion of each of the rigid members to said base member, and furtherthreaded connectors rigidly and releasably attaching the foot of themanikin to the heel section of the upper portion of the rigid members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,099,652 11/1937Janssen 223- 2,537,621 1/ 1951 Busom 223-120 3,009,284 11/1961 Ryan248346 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION A DISPLAY MANIKIN RESEMBLING IN SIZE AND CONFIGURATIONA HUMAN BEING, SAID MANIKIN INCLUDING AT LEAST A BODY PORTION, DEPENDINGLEGS RIGIDLY ATTACHED THERETO, FEET FOR SAID LEGS, AND SUPPORTED MEANSTHEREOF, SAID SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF RIGID PLASTIC MEMBERSSHAPED TO CONFORM TO THE SHAPE OF THE FEET OF THE MANIKIN AND CONTOUREDTO RESEMBLE A LEFT AND A RIGHT SHOE, EACH OF SAID RIGID MEMBERS HAVING ASUPPORTING SURFACE ENGAGING PORTION RESEMBLING THE SOLE AND THE HEEL OFA SHOE AND AN UPPER PORTION RESEMBLING THE TOP OF A SHOE, A BASE MEMBERHAVING AN EXTENDED PLANAR FLOOR ENGAGING SURFACE, TIE MEANS RIGIDLY ANDRELEASABLY CONNECTING THE SUPPORTING SURFACE ENGAGING PORTION OF EACH OFTHE RIGID MEMBERS TO SAID BASE MEMBER, AND FURTHER TIE MEANS RIGIDLY ANDRELEASABLY CONNECTING THE FEET OF THE MANIKIN TO THE HEEL SECTION OF THEUPPER PORTION OF THE RIGID MEMBER.